Can you train alpacas

Giving the creature time to understand basic obedience and develop trust in you will pay off with docile behavior when the alpaca is pulling a cart. Before heading out to his stall, develop a clear intention of what you want to teach your alpaca at each training session.

When you approach, speak to him in a calm, soothing voice, and use consistent verbal and nonverbal signals for each stage of his training. Become familiar with all parts of your alpaca's harness and cart, and be comfortable with how to put them on your animal. If possible, practice with an experienced trainer on an alpaca who's familiar with the harness and cart.

Well-worn harnesses are easier to buckle for the novice cart-handler, so save money and frustration by purchasing or borrowing a used harness. Allow your alpaca to sniff each piece of the harness before you put it on him the first time. Pet him with it, feed him treats and reassure him verbally. Don't expect to necessarily get the entire harness on him in the first session.

Stick to to minute sessions, and review with him the steps you have already taught him at the next session before trying anything new. If your alpaca starts to panic, exhibits fear or becomes bored, agitated or distracted, slow down the lesson or pick it up at a later time.

Play Catch Nina Faust in the video below , who has a small herd of alpacas on her farm in Alaska, trains her alpacas to perform a bunch of enrichment exercises — basically, tasks to keep their minds occupied.

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Necessary Necessary. Now before we go further, I need to warn you that this is a very difficult thing to pull off but if you get it right, then you will get your animals to like you. So you can understand their hesitation if they do not want to do this, but training your animals to learn how to sit and do so on command is a very sure way to get them to like and trust you.

Unlike other animals that are known for littering the whole place with their poop, alpacas will actually create a sort of latrine and poop in a specified place. One way which you can do this is to provide custom made litter boxes filled with wood shavings and drop them around where they stay. Now before you click out of this article and think I am going crazy for suggesting such a thing, hear me out. People have been know to use their pets and animals such as dogs and cats for therapy and alpacas can also be used for such.

People coping with mental health issues have found it easier to interact with animals than with people. Take for example, Mountain Peaks , which is a non profit organization which usually brings alpacas to schools, hospitals and clubs and it has been known to help people.

So if you are looking for a way to bond with your alpaca and get them to like you, why not try some therapy sessions with them. And what better fun game to play than to use them as tow carts and haul you and your kids around your farm. One game that I found really fun to play with my animals is to teach them how to recognize colors and then reward them if they get it right.